A Look at the Miami Heat's Rookies for 2024-25
The Miami Heat are a standout National Basketball Association (NBA) team with an unwavering commitment to player development. The organization drafted and developed Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Caron Butler, among others.
Jaime Jaquez Jr., a first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, was the 14th Heat player to earn NBA All-Rookie Team distinction last year. Jacquez Jr. was a two-time winner of Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month and finished the season with 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
Miami is hoping one of their rookies for the 2024-25 season can replicate that success. The team selected two players—Kel'el Ware and Pelle Larsson—in the 2024 NBA Draft and has since signed some undrafted college players to round out their roster. Below is an overview of each of those players’ accomplishments and abilities.
1. Kel'el Ware
Miami had the 15th overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft and used it to select Indiana University big man Kel'el Ware. Known for his defensive acumen, the 7-foot Ware was ranked as one of the top centers available in the draft after an impressive sophomore NCAA season in which he averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.
He was named to the All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive teams. Ware played his freshman season at the University of Oregon. He signed a four-year, $20.47 million contract with Miami on July 1. Ware will earn $4.23 million in salary in 2024-25, while his contract has team options for the third and fourth years.
Ware showcased his value as a rim protector and displayed flashes of offensive potential in his Summer League performance with the Heat. He had a team-high 26 points and 11 rebounds in a 16-point victory over the Sacramento Kings rookie squad on July 7, prior to which he led all Heat players with five blocks in a loss to the Golden State Warriors.
“Kel'el is a three-and-D center," notes Miami assistant general manager Adam Simon. "It is not easy to find 7-footers who can play out on the perimeter offensively and also be able to defend with his ability to shot block and defend the post. For us, that was very appealing."
2. Pelle Larsson
The Heat also had the 43rd pick in the second-round of the 2024 NBA Draft. They selected Nikola Djurisic with the pick, but subsequently dealt him to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade that also involved the Houston Rockets.
Miami received cash considerations and the 44th overall pick, which it used to draft Pelle Larsson, a 6-foot-5 wing who averaged 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in his senior campaign at the University of Arizona last season. Larsson played three seasons at Arizona and one year at the University of Utah. He signed a three-year contract with Miami on July 2 and will earn $1.16 million in 2024-25.
Born in Nacka, Sweden, Larsson is one of 55 Arizona Wildcats to score more than 1,000 career points and made Second Team All Pac-12 last season. An all-around player, he led the Wildcats with a +412 plus-minus rating in 2023-24 and is one of only seven college players since 1996-97 to hit the following milestones through four seasons: 1,200 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 100 steals, and at least 49 percent field goal shooting and 39 percent from three-point range.
3. Isaiah Stevens
Hoping to find another undrafted gem, the Heat signed Colorado State guard Isaiah Stevens to an Exhibit 10 contract on July 6. A versatile guard known for his playmaking and three-point shooting abilities, Stevens averaged 16 points, 6.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and shot 44 percent from beyond the arc with the Rams in 2023-24. He averaged 40.2 percent from three-point range in four seasons at Colorado State and is the Rams' all-time leader in assists with 618. He was First Team All-Mountain West in 2023.
4. Zyon Pullin
Miami also signed 6-foot-4 guard Zyon Pullin to a two-way contract. An All-SEC First Team guard with the University of Florida last season, Pullin averaged 15.5 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.9 rebounds as a graduate transfer and shot 44.9 percent from three-point range. He also established a new Florida record with a 3.77 assist-to-turnover ratio, the best mark recorded by any SEC player in the 21st century.
5. Keshad Johnson
Finally, the Heat also signed undrafted forward Keshad Johnson out of the University of Arizona. A teammate of Larsson last season, Johnson averaged 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. A Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honorable mention, he had 10 games with at least two steals and seven with at least two blocks. He was a semifinalist for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.
The Heat have had great success with undrafted players. In the 2022-23 season, undrafted players, including Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, and Gabe Vincent, accounted for nearly 40 percent of their total points.